positional notation
nounUK /pəˈzɪʃənəl nəʊˈteɪʃən/
US /pəˈzɪʃənəl noʊˈteɪʃən/
A way of writing numbers where the place of each digit tells you how much it is worth.
In positional notation, the 1 in 100 means one hundred, but the 1 in 10 means only ten.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A system for writing numbers in which the value of a symbol depends on its position.
Binary uses positional notation with only two digits, 0 and 1.
3. The method of representing numbers by arranging digits in columns such as ones, tens, and hundreds.
Children learn positional notation when they line up numbers in columns to add them.
4. Any numeral system where each digit's value is multiplied by a power of the base according to its place.
The number 352 in positional notation equals 3 times 100 plus 5 times 10 plus 2.